Dangerous Flames
by Wildfires Within
Summary: Every bit of her exuded freedom. She was a nearly unstoppable force to be reckoned with, and only one person had ever tamed her. But that was before Levi Ackerman. And now? She was trapped in a cage but not of her own accord. [Levi x OC]
1. all you have is your fire

**Prologue**

 _ **"And I told you to be fine . . ."**_

* * *

The moment Levi's grey eyes fell upon her figure, his heart wrenched in pain. There she was.

Of course she would be here. Erwin could be a real bastard sometimes. Even if this impromptu reunion had not been within his intentions whatsoever. Nevertheless, the girl— _no_ , woman—who had haunted many months of dreams was _here_ , in the flesh.

She was beautiful. Always would be. And what better place for her to be than dressed like royalty, socializing the evening away, after she had abandoned him?

His heart gave another raw tug, like someone was attempting to yank it out. Although, if all things were considered, she had done quite the number on him. She _had_ ripped his heart out. Now he lived like before—only sustaining the barest of emotions. With her, that had been the façade. But with closed doors? He allowed himself to feel, to love . . . and for it to end in his misery was a little too much to think about now. He was supposed to be socializing the night away too, try to dig up information.

Suddenly, her eyes floated over to him, and recognition registered on her features. She grasped a man's arm too comfortably— _she isn't yours anymore_ , he had to remind himself—and her lips moved. Unexpectedly, she began to move towards him, gracefully and almost delicately. With him, she had been delicate . . . but in a different manner. Not like this poised, almost mythical looking creature that he recognized physically. Emotionally, however? He would not let himself fall into that deep, dark hole that only led to wishful pining.

Levi Ackerman did _not_ pine.

But for her? Maybe she was still the exception. His heart certainly seemed to think so.

Then she was right in front of him. From afar she had looked regal, bordering on intimidating. But now, standing in front of him? He remembered too many nights of entwined passions, sinew and flesh meeting in forbidden pleasures.

He coughed lightly and cleared his throat.

"Levi . . ." She started, warmly, like nothing had ever happened between them.

"It's _Captain_ Levi," he interrupted, matter-of-factly. The small smile graced on her face fell. But it was practically imperceptible to the surrounding passerby.

". . . R-right. Captain." Had she just tripped over her words? That was _definitely_ unlike her. But again, maybe he didn't know her as well as he had thought. Or as well as he had been fooled into knowing her. "It has been a while."

"I wasn't aware." The more insignificant this chatter could be, the better. Then he could dismiss her and continue to drink and listen for the information that he needed. Of course he was wholly aware of how long it had been. It had been 426 days since he had last seen her.

426 painful, seemingly never-ending days that had been filled to the brim with heartbreak.

But he was here. And so was she.

"May we talk?" She paused and seemed to process that whatever the current exchange was, it qualified as talking. "Later?" Her bright eyes looked into his. He would never tire of her eyes. They were spectacular. Her voice dropped lower, and if Levi hadn't been paying attention to every single miniscule detail of this exchange, he would have missed what she said next. Her lips didn't even seem to move. But he heard her. "In private?"

He didn't expect for the word to tumble out of his mouth so easily.

"Yes."

* * *

 **A/N: Why . . . hello there. It was been quite a long time since I have written beyond my own private thoughts. But for some reason, my muse woke up, full throttle, and in this fandom specifically. A tad bit unexpected, but I love AoT, so hopefully my imagination can do this world some justice.  
**

 **A few things to note: I cannot guarantee when this will be updated next. It's just not possible with my hectic schedule. Rest assured, however, that I have an entire outline - I know where I want this story to go and how to get there (for the most part). Also, yes, this will likely be rated M. But for now, it's rated T. So keep that in mind. Finally, reviewers (granted you are not a guest reviewer) get confetti! (And, maybe a sneak peek of the next chapter? Possibly? Perhaps?)**

 **So, kind readers, please welcome me back by reviewing and letting me know what you think so far. Intrigued? Think this has been overwritten? Just want to know what the heck is going on? You know what to do!**

 **Best,  
Audrey :)**


	2. you soon find you have few choices

**A/N: Extra long chapter courtesy of my muse. See after the chapter for a few more notes...enjoy! :)**

* * *

 _2.5 Years Earlier_

Adeline Walsh was an enigma. Levi had decided this when he saw her file and it had several years of service with the Survey Corps. But he could not place her anywhere in his mind. Perhaps she had been leaving, one of the few to so-called retire from the regiment, before he had made his own way through the ranks.

At that rate, she was probably an old hag. Why was she joining the military again? What purpose could she serve? Maybe she could cook? Ideas started swirling around in his head, about getting a proper cook who could actually make meals worth a damn around this place. Not that it was that important. But it would serve as a nice treat for all the sacrifices they made.

Bored already, he moved onto the next file, trying to place names to faces as best as he could. Of course, it would be his luck that Walsh's file did not have a photo attached. Maybe she was prehistoric. He would find out soon.

* * *

Adeline Walsh was _not_ an old hag. Not even close. In fact, she didn't look a day over twenty years old. But it confused Levi. Walsh's file had said she had served three long years with the Survey Corps. Along with training, that was easily six years of her life. Not to mention the years that had passed since her "retirement"—which he also questioned. Why would they let a soldier, especially a soldier wearing the Wings of Freedom, retire at her prime?

If he cared enough, maybe he could go bother Erwin with these questions. But for the moment, he didn't care about any of the new recruits standing before him. They were probably all destined to be titan fodder—for better or worse.

Probably for the best if that happened to Walsh. She was a _distraction_. Men, and some women, kept taking what they thought were sneaky glances at the stranger.

Freckles smattered what little skin was exposed beneath her uniform. There was no rhyme or reason to the freckles. Almost like someone had taken a paintbrush and shaken it out unto her as a child. And then her hair. It was a fiery red unlike anything most people had seen. If Levi cared enough to describe it, he would've thought it almost resembled Petra's. But where her hair had been coppery, short, and tidy, this girl's was unruly, flame red, undulating waves of hair. Her full lips twitched as they all listened to Erwin drone on and on about the honorable service they were fulfilling. If Levi hadn't known how to keep up his disguise of indifference, it would've been too apparent that she too had piqued his interest, no matter how much he would ultimately deny this.

Besides, there were more important matters at hand. Levi could tell that Erwin was slowly losing all these recruits if he didn't speed up his magnificent speech. It didn't help that it was sweltering—the heat beating down on them in full uniforms. Luckily, they weren't lugging around equipment in this heat. But they'd soon have to. Levi decided that this was some kind of initiation—listening to Erwin's blathering in this horrendous heat.

Everyone had gone through it. Suddenly, the recruits were taking their oaths of servitude to the Survey Corps. And with that, Levi could finally leave and finish the mountains of paperwork that awaited him in his room. He couldn't wait to break the new recruits into shape for the missions that Erwin had planned.

* * *

"Do it again." Levi ordered, calmly, but particularly at the young recruit who had landed before him. Not only was this new recruit the last to arrive, timewise, but he—Levi couldn't quite place his name, despite his studying tactics—had also managed to miss half the targets that he was supposed to have hit.

The past four tries had been improved upon, but they were no where near ready to be let outside the walls. Right now, the targets they were hitting were still—they didn't even begin to address how titans moved, not even counting how erratic the abnormal ones could be.

There seemed to be a withheld, but still audible collective groan. Nevertheless, the recruits took off, canisters hissing as the group moved jointly, at first. Hange, who was standing next to him, was babbling on and on. Nothing that she said was of particular importance until she questioned, "is running through the course a fifth time truly necessary?" Had she truly had the gall to question him? Question how he chose to break in the new recruits? She continued, "besides, most of them are doing better. It's Becker who isn't doing well. He could probably use some one-on-one training."

Hange knew better than to offer suggestions to Levi. More often than not, they were futile and a waste of her time, energy, and breath. But she could see how the recruits who had done well originally were starting to falter and make silly mistakes. A lot of them were dripping with sweat. Maybe if Hange took _that_ tactic, Levi would be more cooperative.

She didn't hear a response, so she continued. "Besides, the sweatier they get, the dirtier they are, and they're going to take longer in the showers."

Levi made a small noise of acknowledgment—and annoyance, mostly the latter, but said nothing for a minute. Hange thought about continuing, but thought better of it, especially when Levi opened his mouth to respond. "Hey, Shitty Glasses, I don't tell you how to do your job. So don't tell me how to do mine. They'll be done when I say they're done. And, right now, because of Becker, they're all being punished."

"But…" Hange started, but stopped when the young woman with the unruly red hair landed somewhat unceremoniously in the grass about twenty feet away from them. She was drenched in sweat, her hair appearing to be damp from the physical workout. As she removed her gear quickly and efficiently, she plopped down on the grassy knoll abruptly.

"Does she think she's done?" Levi growled, menacingly. Hange knew better than to answer him. Their conversation was over when he bellowed, "Walsh! Here! Now!" He was terse, which meant he was more than upset.

She stood, and sauntered leisurely over to them. Her relaxed strolling was wearing on Levi's last nerve. But finally, she was before them— _no_ , actually, she was before Levi. Hange had seemingly disappeared into thin air since she was nowhere to be found. Then again, Hange knew better than to stick around when Levi's temper had been provoked.

"What do you think you're doing?" Levi glared at Adeline.

"I took off my gear." She responded concisely, arching an eyebrow. She almost seemed to daring Levi to continue his line of questioning. Now that she was standing before him, Levi could truly study her. No wonder so many recruits had seemed captivated with her. Up close, the freckles were spellbinding. However, that was not the only thing that was mesmerizing.

One of her eyes was as green as the grass, and the other was as blue as the sky above. She pursed her lips in impatience—she knew when a man was taking too long to respond because he was distracted. This broke the temporary trance Levi fell into as he studied her.

"Why? We're not done here. And I certainly haven't dismissed anyone."

"You're about to dismiss me, actually." She proceeded to untuck the shirt from her uniform—another sign of insolent behavior—and began to undo the buttons that were at the top, revealing more freckled-laden skin. Ordinarily, this wouldn't have bothered Levi – he had been exposed, in more ways than one, to women's bodies. But something about Adeline's overall brazen attitude was unnerving to him. Usually people tended to either fawn over him or be petrified of him. Adeline was neither. In fact, as she looked back up at Levi, having undone three of the buttons and beginning to reveal forbidden skin, she had the gall to, once more, raise an eyebrow.

"And why in hell would I do that?" He tried to focus on something that wouldn't distract him— _anything_ —but, in reality, she was beautiful, and she used her seduction to her advantage.

"Because." She paused and made direct eye contact with Levi. _Brave_. "I am not to blame for a singular imbecile's incompetence. If anything, I've improved my time. I don't need to be told how to kill titans or how to use my gear—if you did your reading, you'd know this. I also happen to know that judging from the leaves around the trees, we are quickly approaching the cold season—meaning no missions, which makes all this training futile, unless you're trying to scare the new recruits. And that won't work on me. Finally, and probably most importantly, I desperately need a shower."

Levi listened to her reasoning, but was no less annoyed by it. Any other recruit and he would have ripped them a new one. But, clearly, Adeline was different—she was bold and didn't seem to care about the hierarchy of leadership, especially considering that she had chosen to challenge him. He glared at her, but took in her words nevertheless.

Finally, he conceded. "Fine. You can have your shower." Immediately, her face beamed, but he was about to deliver the caveat to his acceptance. "After twenty laps around the base."

Her eyes lit with a fire he hadn't seen before, but then again, he knew virtually nothing of the stranger before him. She opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it. Suddenly, she took off running—and, unbeknownst to her, leaving a satisfied smirk on Levi's face.

* * *

"Stupid. Control. Freak." Adeline muttered between heavy breaths as she made her nineteenth lap around the base of where the Survey Corps were living in. It was far nicer than the housing that they had been granted when Adeline had first joined the Survey Corps. But at this point in time, she didn't care how beautiful the entire estate looked—remnants of past times. She had only wanted a shower. Perhaps she had become accustomed to so-called civilian life, when the only person to bark orders at her was herself.

Even then, Adeline had learned to be kind to herself, especially in the year after her leaving the Survey Corps, albeit somewhat involuntarily. She had only one man to thank for her pseudo-retirement. She briefly wondered when she would be able to sit down with him and have a long conversation about what was expected of her now that she was back. Thinking of all these things, however, made her lose her focus, and she nearly tripped over a small divot in the land. She had to concentrate on her running, not all the things she had to do.

Her muscles her practically screaming at her. Although she was still physically fit and very much active in her lifestyle, she generally didn't put in three hours of leaping amongst trees, along with a long run in a single day.

Nevertheless, it felt good to be back. Until she had met the control freak in question. Captain Levi's absolute dominion over this training was brutal, and bordering on authoritarian. She felt sorry for those who were still novices at controlling their bodies with the equipment. However, as much as she hated to admit this to herself, she knew that they couldn't be coddled forever. Even if, as she had stated, there wasn't going to be a mission for a while, likely an entire half year, the new recruits had to be ready for anything. Although she found the Captain to be irritable, condescending, and, to put it mildly, a bastard of an unkind man, his unconventional way of training new recruits was likely what had led to the drop in new infantry deaths.

Finally, Adeline passed the invisible marker which had designated as her lap point. Crossing it meant that she could _finally_ take a very well-deserved shower. She looked over the grassy knoll where they had been training, and sure enough, Captain Levi was still barking orders and expressing annoyance at one young recruit in particular.

Had Adeline been a younger version of herself, she would have marched right on over and defended the young recruit.

 _What was his name?_ She thought. _Something with a 'b'...I think._ Ultimately, Adeline decided that if she hadn't remembered it, it was clearly for a reason. However, Adeline had learned to calm the uncontrollable side of herself a long time ago with discipline and years of experience. She was not a young novice anymore, and because of that, she knew better than to intervene if it didn't serve her own means. She turned away from the scene and went inside, exploring not only for her quarters, but also for the showers.

* * *

 **A/N: A bit of setting up for backstory into the protagonist of the story-there's more to her than it seems, and I hope some of you will stick around to find out. I have already (tentatively) set up what her background looks like, so I know where that is going. Also, please know, that because of the time jumps, there will be some "fast-forwarding," so to speak. As much as I'd love to ramble on and on about their daily routines, we've all seen the show/read the manga/done both, so there will less of that exposition.**

 **Next chapter, a jump ahead, but only a few months into the mission-less autumn/winter. Plus, if the muse allows it, maybe some drinking and banter? I guess you'll all have to wait to find out.**

 **Do me a favor? Pretty please? Review, favorite, follow? Keeps the muse inspired to know that, yes, people are reading and maybe even liking my new shenanigans in the fanfic world. A million thank yous if you do so. And maybe reviewers who are signed in will get some sneak peeks? (Hint hint?)**

 **Thanks! :)**


	3. now i only see ahead of me

_863 Days Earlier_

Adeline trudged through the morning's frost as the sun started peeking above the horizon. She had a feeling it was not going to be one of those deceivingly beautiful days, merely judging how the sun was struggling to be evident among the gloomy looking clouds that appeared to be surrounding it.

She hadn't been able to sleep the night before, spending it tossing and turning. The nightmares never ceased to follow her, but over time, they had become far more abstract. Every so often, however, her mind felt compelled to show her terrible images of the things she had seen—violent endings that no one should have to carry with them. Nevertheless, Adeline had pledged her servitude to the Survey Corps.

While the regiments still did their exercises, now that it was late autumn, the activities were slowing down. Adeline had finally felt only a week ago that she had gotten back to her military physical condition that she had had before—including the calluses that were now existing once more across her palms.

 _No matter_. She thought, at least. It was a sign that she was proud of. Coupled with the little sleep she had managed to get, she had decided to get up early and run in the morning as a warmup, before the Captain decided to chastise everything about them and demand repetition.

Perhaps she was biased, but she certainly didn't remember that the recruits that she had joined with had been this awful when they left basic training. Or perhaps it was that Captain Levi's method of so-called training—terrorizing them with sharp orders and shouts—wasn't the best way to train.

Not that it was her place to say so…out loud at least.

She had taken her concerns to the Commander—after all, he had beckoned for her to return. After everything he had done for her, what was adding one more small favor to the innumerable things that she held superfluous gratitude for? Besides, it was just listening to her worries.

She had kept Erwin's words in her mind since then and promised not to raise too much trouble.

 _"I know it's difficult to be back, and to see all these new faces. But you know what the service is like. Better than most. And if Captain Levi is getting results, no matter how peculiar the method, you have to let him. He's your superior after all."_

Although Adeline would have loved to argue, she had decided that after all she had been through, and all that Erwin had done for her, the least she could do was agree. That, and promise to not fight Captain Levi at every instance where the opportunity presented itself.

One thing in particular about their meeting had bothered Adeline since.

 _"You and Levi are far more similar than you would ever admit. Listen to him. And don't give him too much trouble?"_

Admittedly, her decision to not raise absolute hell had been less of a decision and more of a coercion, something she usually didn't respond well to…but for Erwin, she would do so.

Nevertheless, she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about Erwin stating that Levi and her were similar…but she also knew that Erwin was far wiser than he could sometimes let on. He was meticulous and that was part of the reason why he was an excellent Commander.

The ground beneath her continued to crunch as she continued to disrupt the frost. Even though it wasn't quite winter yet, the skies kept threatening to snow. Today especially, it seemed, was going to be a dreary day. Nonetheless, she wasn't off put by the weather. However, she knew that it would almost be time for breakfast, and that she would have to head back inside. But before she walked back towards the fortress, Adeline had one more stop to make.

* * *

Adeline entered the stables quietly. She didn't want to frighten any of the horses that were nickering peacefully. She couldn't help the soft smile on her face—she had missed this kind of quiet quality time especially. Even though she had tried to convince Erwin that she needed to take the only horse with which she had a connection, she had understood why he would say no.

Resources could be a rare commodity in the Survey Corps, and as much as Erwin allowed Adeline freedom, this was something he could not do. But he _had_ promised that the horse would be kept safe.

She took small glances at each stall; half-wondering which horse would be hers—thinking starkly that it would probably be a dead someone's previous horse—and also half-dreading if she didn't find the particular one she was looking for.

She still had a sliver of hope as she continued on, deeper into the stable, until finally, as she was approaching the end, she saw _her_.

"Pepper," Adeline sighed in relief, seeing the beautiful black and white horse that was dappled with the latter throughout her body. "Do you remember me?" She whispered, feeling cautious and worried that this was either a lookalike, or . . . if this was Pepper, maybe she wouldn't remember her.

The horse before her, which had been silent until now, made a series of nickers.

Nickers that Adeline recognized as signature to Pepper—thus confirming her identity—and also nickers that practically meant 'good to see you.' Perhaps Adeline was putting too much meaning into a horse's noises, but her suspicions were confirmed when Pepper leaned over the stall door and tried to caress Adeline with her dappled snout.

A larger grin broke out onto Adeline's face as she greeted the horse happily. Whomever rode it now clearly cared about Pepper and took care of her enough, judging from her healthy-looking coat.

Suddenly, a buried memory made its way to Adeline's forefront and she closed her eyes in pain.

 _"Maybe I just like freckled things?"_ _His low voice had said, seemingly so long ago._

Worried, Pepper nudged Adeline again, and it helped to snap her out of the terribly painful place she had started to fall into. In fact, her heart was now beating much faster and Adeline suddenly became cognizant of how fast she was breathing.

 _Calm down_. She ordered herself, and she started taking deep breaths in order to do so. Besides, this was a happy moment—a reunion. She would not let her own mind ruin this.

"Oh, Pepper," she whispered, slinging her arms around the horse. "I missed you." Pepper nickered again, and Adeline couldn't help but let out a low chuckle. "People would probably think I'm crazy for talking to a horse. But you seem to understand." She paused, almost as if waiting for the horse before her to respond, but decided better of it. She continued, "I'll have to bring you a treat next time. If I can manage it, how does an apple sound? I know they're your favorite."

Adeline couldn't help but actually laugh this time as Pepper nickered several times, almost as if agreeing that an apple sounded wonderful. "All right then, an apple it is."

Adeline looked outside and panicked, noticing that the sun was much higher than she had anticipated. This meant that breakfast was almost over. She hadn't meant to spend so much time with Pepper. Then again, this reunion had been well-worth it and long-awaited. A missed meal was a small price to pay to be able to say hello to a horse from the seemingly distant past. However, if breakfast was almost over, it also meant that the stable muckers would be here soon to clean up. Adeline certainly did not want to be caught in this private moment.

As much as it pained her, Adeline unwrapped her arms from Pepper's neck and placed a quick kiss on her favorite spot—a white marking on Pepper's snout that almost looked like a heart if Adeline squinted enough. "I promise I'll be back." Pepper snorted quickly, almost like a plea. "And I promise a treat. Maybe not an apple, but I'll see what I can do." Hearing the word 'treat' placated Pepper, and she nickered once more, in recognition.

With that done, now Adeline could finally go back to the castle, possibly having missed the first meal of the day, and likely with a list of chores awaiting her.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello again! Although I had plans for the second chapter to push things along into sexual tension (with the help of a little booze), the muse decided otherwise. No matter, however, because we will get there! I promise! Now, whether that'll happen in the next chapter or the one after that? Fickle muse makes last-minute decisions . . .**

 **Thank you to those of you who followed and favorited. A million especially HUGE _THANK YOU_ to those of you who took the time to review. Not to say that I'm ungrateful for the former-but reviews help inspiration and inspiration is the driving force behind the fickle muse . . . and with that, I again ask for those of you enjoying what's going on so far to review, follow, and favorite. Once more, a million thank yous will be bestowed upon those of you who do, along with hints about what is forthcoming.**

 **Thanks! :)**


	4. was there someone that dug long ago

_847 Days Earlier_

It had snuck up on Adeline. Although she was cognizant of the rapidly changing weather—in fact, they had already had their first small snowstorm—she hadn't been aware of how close they were to the day she dreaded terribly. And it was here.

 _His birthday_.

Even merely acknowledging those words caused her heart to clench painfully. She tried to remind herself of a little mantra she had made for herself.

 _The heart is a muscle the size of my fist. And like any muscle, I am in control of it_.

It didn't do much. She didn't expect it to. Nevertheless, it was a nice reminder for herself—reminded her of how resilient she was. It could have been so easy, to succumb to her seemingly never-ending sadness. But after a few weeks of feeling like that after the disastrous mission, she had decided that she couldn't change the past. No one could. And thus, she worked on finding the little things in her life, although much had been ripped away, that would bring her joy. And before she knew it, there was more joy than sadness.

That didn't mean she still didn't cry herself to sleep at night, overwhelmed by everything, or that she no longer experienced bouts of lividity that scared even herself, or that the nightmares were completely gone. It didn't mean any of those things. But it did mean that she was on the path of healing, a path that she was still working towards, every single day.

No matter how well she had been doing in the days prior to this horrible reminder of an event that could no longer be celebrated, his birthday seemed to slap her across the face every year. And with it, terrible and wonderful memories of _him_.

She was tempting fate, but she had to say it out loud. It made it sincerer and all the more real. "Happy birthday, Alaric." She shut her eyes after listening to her own voice fall into the empty room. It shouldn't have been an empty room. And it wasn't fair. Adeline decided to allow those thoughts, if only for a moment. But she would not allow herself to surrender to her own grief. The whole day was ahead of her, and then tomorrow, it would be another day.

Adeline easily remembered the birthdays she had managed to spend with him. The first one, where she had pretended to be sick so that she and him could spend the entire day in bed, laughter and passions exchanged. Or the second birthday they celebrated together, when there had been a huge snowstorm and the entire Corps had been given the day off. They had spent it together, playing in the snow like children, forgetting the terrible things that awaited them outside the walls. And finally, the last birthday she would spend with him—though she didn't know it or imagine it at the time—when she had convinced the practically newly minted Commander Erwin, on the job for less than three months, to give her the day off. And after he had agreed, she had informed him that he needed to officiate their nuptials, since he _was_ the Commander, after all. He had been surprised, but had agreed nevertheless.

Suddenly, Adeline felt the hot tears escape and hit her cheeks. This signaled it was enough reminiscing. She wiped her face and took a deep breath. Before she could let any terribly wonderful memories encapsulate her, she decided there was plenty to do today and she could do something about it. She forced herself out of bed before her own mind started wandering again, into the dark crevices of her mind. She stretched, bending down to touch her toes before readjusting herself to be upright. She moved, slightly left and then sharply right, hearing the bones on her right-side snap and pop in a way that sounded excruciating but felt wonderful. She repeated the motion to do the same for her left side, and then strolled over to the window.

She had heard from some of the other recruits that she was lucky to have a window—some of the newer recruits were also forced to share rooms due to the lack of space. Surely, her own room had been Erwin's doing. Perhaps it was a strange sort of soft spot for her, or maybe it was because Alaric had been Erwin's right hand man before his . . . well, just before. Sometimes she still found it difficult to let that word even in her mind.

 _Death_.

As difficult as it could be to admit, death was awaiting them all. And even though the new recruits sometimes begrudged that Adeline had a private room, once missions started, there would be more room, but not for any reason that was worth celebrating. She pulled the curtains open and felt simultaneously excited and somewhat broken.

It must have snowed the entire night. Right now, the outside world looked pristine and undisturbed. If she allowed herself, Adeline could _almost_ imagine a world where there were no titans. While the possibilities of running through the snow and getting soaked through was exciting, Adeline had also been secretly wishing for a dreary, grey day to chime in another year without Alaric.

But she didn't get that. Instead, the sun was shining outside, in the deceiving way that it does after a large snowstorm. It was beckoning Adeline to go outside, without a coat, but she had learned long ago that these ordinary temptations were just that—surely the frozen air would nip at her skin, verging on pain. Pain that might make her feel better . . . but ultimately, she decided against it. Judging from where the sun was, it was already past midday. Why hadn't anyone awoken her?

The snow was practically blinding, so she turned away. Adeline started getting dressed, knowing that without word, there was still training to be had. She was hoping, to a certain extent, that they could have the day off. So she could mull with her tumultuous emotions. Then, almost as if her wishes had been granted, there was a soft knock on the door.

Half-dressed, but decent, Adeline popped open the door. Standing there was Squad Leader Hange.

"Good morning." She said, a small smile on her face. "Per the Commander, we all have the day off because of the weather. In case you didn't know that already, since it is already afternoon. Captain Levi sent me to let you know, since you are under his leadership." The news about it already being afternoon surprised her—she hadn't realized she had slept so late. But beyond that piece of news, Adeline resisted the urge to roll her eyes. A Captain who couldn't face his own cohorts? How could he expect them to trust each other beyond the walls?

She bit her tongue though and kept those questions to herself. Adeline suddenly realized that Hange was still talking. ". . . he didn't tell me much about what happened, but he wanted me to give you this." Hange said, as she presented a bottle.

Confused, Adeline grabbed it and took a closer look. Alcohol. And not the homemade kind either. She didn't say anything, so Hange continued. "And I don't know what kind of past you and the Commander have, but if you want to talk or—"

"Thank you." Adeline interrupted. "But it's not that kind of past." She realized what Hange was insinuating. A romantic past. With Erwin.

 _Nope._ "Maybe one day, I can talk about it. Or you can read my files." Adeline shrugged.

"Actually, I don't know anything. I read your file. It doesn't have anything about anything. Just a few of your records, and physical information—height, weight. But no photo. And, come to think of it, I don't know where exactly your file is . . ."

This surprised Adeline. She was sure that everyone would have known by now. But Erwin had once more done something for her, without truly needing to. Perhaps it was as much to avoid questions towards him as it was to protect her from curious questions and untowardness.

"Please extend my gratitude towards Er—the Commander." Adeline corrected herself.

Hange nodded, and turned, clearly sensing their conversation was over, and walked away. Closing the door, Adeline inspected the bottle closer. The amber colored liquid has beckoning her, but she knew better than to drink when she was feeling like this—melancholy and confused. She didn't need to add booze—knowing that it would only make it worse.

Instead, she removed the clothing she had put on and decided that today would be the kind of day where she could brood all she desired. She walked to the window and closed the curtains, eliminating the jovial sunlight from her room.

Mulling over her decision not to drink quite yet, Adeline popped open the bottle and took a swig. The first gulp went down her throat, burning its way down. But the subsequent gulps, the second one—which turned to four—went down easier and easier, and succeeded in warming her body. She crawled back into bed and covering herself in layers, she succumbed to sleep—hoping that the nightmares wouldn't haunt her too much.

* * *

When Adeline awoke, she felt surprisingly well rested. It wasn't until she physically stood and felt the room spin that she realized it—albeit in the recesses of her rational mind—she was drunk.

Drunk Adeline didn't tend to make good decisions. That's why when she found the bottle, already half empty, she opened it again and took another large gulp. It was dark out and the warmth in her body was back. Instead of saving the rest of the alcohol for a rainy day, drunk Adeline decided that alcohol wasted was a shame. So instead, she tipped the bottle back into her mouth and took another gulp, somewhat unceremoniously.

Her stomach growled, and Adeline realized why she had awoken – she was hungry. Despite her normally better intuitions, Adeline got up, pulled clothing on haphazardly and decided to look for food. Before leaving, however, she grabbed the bottle, deciding that maybe there was more alcohol where this had come from.

She didn't realize how late it was until she made it halfway down the hallway and realized that the entire castle was shockingly quiet. Perhaps she would make it less of a drunken habit to be up at this hour. She took the last swig of the bottle, and made it a secondary mission to definitely find more alcohol.

However, despite this excellent idea, Adeline then realized _why_ it was a terrible idea to be drunk throughout the halls of the castle when the world started spinning around her. Inadvertently, and painfully, she hit the ground with a loud groan.

It wasn't actually that loud, but it was _right_ outside of Levi's door, unbeknownst to Adeline. As she tried to stand up, but only succeeded in half-crawling before looking up and meeting Levi's disapproving stare, she was surprised.

He had heard the crash, the sound of a bottle hitting the ground, and a grunt of pain. When he had opened the door, he expected one of the new recruits to be drunk, but instead, to his surprise, was Walsh.

 _Idiot_. He thought, as he walked over to her and tried to figure out what she was trying to do—besides attempting to slice herself on broken glass multiple times.

"Walsh. What the fuck do you think you're doing at this hour?"

"I'm . . . I'm . . ." Adeline tried to come up with a good excuse, but could find none. So she admitted the truth. "I'm hungry." She was trying to disguise the slur in her voice, but Levi heard it clearly. The way she had elongated the 'm' sound in the word 'I'm' multiple times.

Levi sighed, frustrated. Fortunately, he was the kind of man who liked to drink—and sometimes drank too much, ending in the kind of accident Adeline was in now. That's why he kept a small amount of cleaning supplies in his room. "Don't move."

Generally, Levi would have ignored anyone like this. But Adeline wasn't just anyone. She had piqued his interest. And that's why her file was currently underneath several piles of paperwork on his desk. He had been digging—wanting to know more about the haunting creature that was currently leaning against the stone walls of their safe haven.

Levi was surprised that Adeline had listened – she tended to be defiant in training, leading to her running any laps at his discretion. But she had never whined about the punishment he doled out. Some part of Levi wondered if she enjoyed the physical pain—almost as if she was trying to put herself through some kind of punishment.

He cleaned up the mess she left behind, picking up the glass. Luckily, there wasn't much liquid to clean up—it seemed that Adeline had mostly left the bottle empty. Which would explain why she was sitting, one leg outstretched and the other bent up at the knee. Her head was leaning on her knee, in a position that did not look comfortable, but clearly, she seemed to be just fine. Her eyes were closed and Levi cursed her. Was he going to have to drag her body back to her room?

Her eyes were still closed, and although Levi would not admit it to anyone anytime soon, she was far more endearing like this, without the usual frown on her face. He thought she was asleep, which why he was surprised when she spoke. "Stop staring at me."

"After I cleaned up your damn mess, I can do what I want. And I wasn't staring at you."

Again, not that he would admit to anything, but Levi had dug to find out what Adeline's past looked like. And what little he had found pointed to something that looked too much like a painful childhood. Perhaps that's why he found her particularly interesting.

Adeline popped open one eye—the blue one—and looked at Levi. "Thank you." Levi was tempted to leave her there, but decided against it. So he looped one arm around her waist and lifted her. If questioned, Levi would never admit to the fact that he let his hand roam dangerously close to her hip, under the pretense of stabilizing her. Plus, it helped that he didn't realize he was doing it until he subconsciously spread his fingers and became cognizant of what he was supposed to be doing. And that was dragging her ass back into her room, despite her hunger.

He hadn't even acknowledged her gratitude. He was still annoyed that she had pulled him away from the pile of work he had been making progress on.

He didn't know which rooms soldiers were assigned. So he asked, "Which room is yours?"

Her eyes were still closed and her body seemed to be growing limper. However, she pursed her lips and then responded. "Third—no, fourth door on the left. Wait, sorry, right . . . fourth door on the right." This time, he couldn't resist but roll his eyes. He remembered exactly why he didn't particularly like dealing with drunken tomfoolery.

Levi thought that he could leave her at her door and go back to work, but when he did so, she swayed and started to crumble into a heap on the floor. So he grabbed her quickly again, and rolled his eyes.

 _What a waste of my time_. Levi thought, using his other hand to open the door to her bedroom. Not that Levi had a particularly strong moral compass, but some part of him did feel like he was invading her personal space. Then again, it was her late-night foolishness that had put them into this situation.

He led her towards the bed, thinking he could deposit her there quickly and then leave. However, she shocked him by moving fast and slinging her arms around his neck.

". . . thank . . ." The word tumbled from her lips before they met his. For a fleeting moment, Levi inadvertently closed his own eyes and reveled in the feeling of her lips against his. She was warm, almost verging on too warm for his tastes, but he snapped back to reality when he tasted the booze on her lips.

He pulled away from her and pushed her down to sit on the bed. "Go to sleep. That's an order."

She nodded, eyes still closed and appearing sleepy. "Thanks, Alaric," she whispered, kicking off her boots and slipping underneath her blankets.

A clue, Levi realized as he processed what had just happened. The name was interesting enough that perhaps Levi could dig more into Adeline's past. She was an enigma that he was determined to solve.

As he walked back to his room, Levi realized how fast his heart was beating. Her kiss had been unexpected and unprecedented. But it had made him feel _something_ that he wasn't quite ready to delve into. So instead, he sat back down at his desk and started working through the piles of paperwork that eagerly awaited him.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everyone! The muse finally cooperated and pushed this story into romance! As one (anonymous) reviewer put it, the romance in the romance story has arrived! Yes, this is still going to be a bit of a slow burn, and maybe this is tooting my own horn, but I kinda like the idea of Levi feeling gooey stuff instead of the O/C. Not that Adeline _won't_ get there, but I like defiant her. What do you guys think? Will she wake up remembering this encounter of her own doing? Will she pretend it never happened? Think it's a dream? Really, it's up to the muse.  
**

 **Thank you to all of those of you who have followed and faved for taking the time to do. But it's time for my pitch again! Pretty, pretty please think about leaving a quick review - anything at all that encourages my writing-even if it's constructive criticism or suggestions! And for those of you who are already doing so, a MILLION thank yous are bestowed upon you all! **

**Thanks! :)**


	5. oh darling things seem so unstable

**A/N: Real quick here, please note that this chapter has jumped back to present day (like the prologue)!**

* * *

 _Present Day_

Levi tapped his shoe impatiently as he waited. He briefly questioned what the fuck he was doing here, before admitting that he knew why he was here. Adeline—or rather, one of her servants—had slipped a note into his jacket pocket. If he had been more paranoid, he would have worried about someone trying to attack him. But instead, he had already noticed the young woman who had been nervously fiddling with a small slip of paper prior to the brush he had felt against his side.

 _9pm. The place with my favorite greenery_.

It didn't take a genius to know what Adeline had been talking about—not for someone who knew her as well as he did. Her favorite greenery wasn't wholly "greenery"—they were flowers. He remembered how she loved having vases of wildflowers she had picked on windowsills. But she especially loved peonies whenever she could get her hands on them.

He was secretly glad he had asked someone where the gardens were, otherwise he could have easily spent an hour wandering the grounds on the place that Adeline now called home. For a passing moment, he wondered if this was some sort of trap—especially considering the location where he had finally found peonies planted throughout. It was bordering on intimate, a hidden nook of the gardens that, if Levi crouched down, would conceal him completely without him trying too hard.

He could also easily dash between the trees that did plenty to conceal as well, or climb one of them to safety. Worse case scenario, of course. If this _was_ a trap. The remnants of his optimistic side had a hard time believing that it was a trap, but that was a very small part of him. However, his optimistic side also wouldn't have ever though Adeline would have done what she did—yet, here they were.

He wished he could know the exact time, but he at least knew she was late. He didn't like to wait like this, especially when his paranoia was growing with the passing minutes.

Suddenly, Levi heard footsteps—they were quiet, but he could still hear them. Either it was Adeline, having lost her grace for quietness, or it was someone else. He stepped back into the trees, but once he saw it was Adeline, alone, he stepped forward.

The still angry part of him wanted to confront her.

The eager part of him wanted to ask questions and demand answers.

And although he would never admit it, some part just wanted to _touch_ her. Ensure that she was real and not merely a dream. Or a nightmare.

Her bold eyes fell upon him, scanning up and down, before taking a step forward. He wasn't sure what she was planning to do. Kill him? (Not that he deserved it.) Slap him? (Possible—it was unlikely she had liked his previous attitude.) Some indeterminate third option? (More likely—but what would it be?)

". . . Levi . . ." She whispered, before taking two steps forward, standing before him. He had beckoned his mind to forget the smattering of freckles, to forget her different-colored eyes, to forget her curves underneath his fingertips. To forget the memories of entwined passions. But now that she was before him? He was glad he hadn't forgotten her.

426 long, difficult days had passed. And _now_? She was here, in all her beauty.

Imperceptivity, Adeline took a small step forward. She had wanted to talk. But now that he was right here, standing so close . . . she almost couldn't help what she did next.

She moved quickly to make contact with his body, her arms wrapping around his neck, her fingers brushing at the soft hairs on the back of his head. Her lips eagerly pushed against his, and when she found no resistance, she kissed him harder.

He kissed her back, and a low sound that originated from Adeline's throat threatened to escape. She sounded so . . . _needy_. This wasn't like her. But it had been an incredibly long time, and she had missed him so much and . . .

Levi's hand met her hip and pulled her in, so that their bodies were flush against each other. Now _that_ low sound escaped, and Adeline almost wasn't quite sure which one of them had made it.

Adeline tried pushing her body closer to Levi's, but there was no more space to be had as her lips worked against his, willing and bordering on desperate. Adeline was tempted to sneak one of her hands between them, to a _forbidden_ space, but she could already achingly feel _him_ , and she couldn't get enough.

His hands were hot on her hips, his fingers anchoring her in place. But then one hand started moving upward, gracing the side of her breast, and Adeline's heart threatened to leap out of her chest.

Suddenly, he pulled back releasing them from their almost risqué positioning, ". . . wait, wait . . . wait." A groan of frustration at their loss of contact escaped Adeline's mouth. "No. Adeline. You asked me to meet you here. And maybe I'm the asshole who assumes, but I don't think it was just to kiss me." She wanted to almost chuckle at his choice of words, if only the tone of their space hadn't changed to drastically and so quickly.

Adeline bit her lip and almost chewed on it before answering. "No, you're right. I asked you here because I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to give you _something_. Maybe not the answers that you're looking for. But I also . . ." She paused for a brief moment. ". . . I miss you." If Levi hadn't been listening, he was sure he would've missed her last three words.

But beyond that, the word 'answers' piqued Levi's interest. He had been waiting 426 days for answers. He had mostly wanted to know "why," but he also wanted to know other things. Like, was she happy? Did she miss him?

Of course, it was likely that they didn't have time for all these formalities. Adeline opened her pert mouth to answer, and this time it was Levi who couldn't stop himself. He pushed himself against her, and again, their lips met in a fiery, passionate moment that threatened to burn both of them.

Adeline briefly disconnected their seemingly fused lips, and Levi took the opportunity to burrow his face into her neck, nipping at the spots he knew all to well would get a response from him.

"Oh . . ." a quiet moan of satisfaction escaped her mouth, and it only served to spur him on. One of his knees was somewhat tucked between her legs, and he knew that if he moved his hips only _slightly_ upwards and forward, surely those quiet moans wouldn't be so quiet anymore.

His teeth scraped her ear at the same time he jolted his hips forward, and sure enough, another groan, this one less controlled and far more unctuous tumbled from her lips. But as he was determined to unravel her with only his lips, Levi remembered the past 426 days. Days filled with anguish, with pain, and oftentimes, in order to block the negative emotions out, in order to function, indifference towards everyone and everything.

He remembered that he had been the one to stop them before, and now that he had started them up once more, he was going to stop again. ". . . okay, wait." He said, almost not recognizing his own voice, which was a slight note lower.

Adeline groaned in frustration, but nodded. She was breathing heavily, but nevertheless, she took a step back. Clearly, she was being more prudent than he was, since he was tempted to step forward again.

Reality seemed to hit him upside the head, as everything he wanted to know started popping into his mind. What answers would he get out of her?

"Why did you leave?" The question came out sounding more pained than he intended to.

"I can't tell you." She said, as she shook her head. "I just want you to know that I have very good reasons for doing so. And that I didn't want to."

"If you didn't want to, why did you?"

"Levi." She kept shaking her head. "If I could, I would choose you, any day."

"Then why leave me in the first place?" He was getting frustrated—and not in the good way. He wasn't getting any answers that were satisfactory.

The words that came out shocked Levi.

"Ask Erwin."

But then, it was Adeline's turn to be distraught.

"They didn't tell you? . . . Adeline . . . Erwin's dead."

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, cool, what a cliffhanger, right?! Sorry to do this to you all, but I'm not really sorry. The muse just took this idea and ran with it! Also, as a side-note, I want to point out that we will go back to the "distant" past in the next chapter. I will be hopping back and forth every so often from the "past" and "present day," so please do make sure to read the italics that establish when we are, so to speak. **

**Anyways, thanks so much for reading. Please consider writing a review (most preferred and very much appreciated), favoriting and following, the latter of which are both also appreciated-that said, words are still always reaffirming to the finnicky muse. A huge shoutout and many, many thanks to those that have already favorited and followed this story, but especially to those that have taken the time to write a review. Reviews are insurmountably appreciated! (That's right-three exclamation points!)  
**

 **Thanks again! :)**


	6. i will not ask you where you came from

_840 Days Earlier_

A week had passed. One whole week since Adeline had assaulted Levi with her supple and luscious and . . . Levi shook his head. He needed to stop thinking of her lips like that. He needed to stop thinking about her altogether.

He had already used her as fodder for a few late-night fantasies throughout the week—yes, she was beautiful, but he wasn't interested in her like _that_. At least, that's what Levi had thoroughly convinced himself of thus far.

Besides, even if there was any kind of interest, it was fleeting. One quick fuck and that would be sufficient.

At least, that's what Levi kept telling himself, despite his painstaking denial. Now that he had a _piece_ in the form of the name 'Alaric,' Levi had started digging through military records first. A cursory glance had revealed nothing, so clearly, either this _person_ , whomever it was, was either a civilian or his records were lost. Or destroyed.

Levi could have laughed at the prospect of that last one. Records were very rarely destroyed. It was more likely that it was buried on someone's desk or that it had been misfiled. Or maybe, it was kept with another branch and that's why Levi couldn't find it.

It certainly wasn't the most important thing that he had to work on also, so he only when he had spare time, did he go digging through piles and piles of records. There was also a few more places to look. Like Hange's desk, which was surely a disaster zone. Or even Erwin's desk. The Commander had the bad habit of letting records and paperwork pile up until it threatened to teeter over. Only then would Erwin take the time to put things away.

Levi stared at his own desk. Even though it _looked_ like a mess, he not only knew where everything was, but everything on his desk was stuff that needed to be filed and put away in a short amount of time.

But now, looking at the seemingly insurmountable piles, Levi realized that there was a headache working its way through the back of his head.

He had already been working for several hours and now he could begin putting piles of paperwork away. He grabbed a stack—having already alphabetized it as he went—and headed downstairs.

It was early. Levi habitually started his days incredibly early – or late, depending on the definition of the time. Glancing outside, Levi noticed that the sky was still a dark grey, but it was beginning to lighten as the sun started rising.

It was a rare occasion that Levi slept for more than a handful of hours a night. He had too much to do and, although he would never admit it, too many thoughts scattering around in his brain to get more than a few hours of fitful sleep. Every so often, that was why Levi liked to drink too much—it provided a quietness in stupor that he would not be able to achieve otherwise.

Levi made his way to the basement and as he filed away the stack of papers he had brought from his office here, he thought about the strange interaction he had had with Erwin earlier in the week. Of course, some part of him had known not to ask—but he had wanted to know if Erwin knew anything. Ultimately, the experience was clearly still weighing him down since he was still thinking about it now.

* * *

 _Three Days Prior_

Erwin, Hange, Levi, and other leaders in the Survey Corps were in Erwin's office. Their usual waste of time—or, as Erwin referred to these meetings, their usual weekly debriefings—took place here. Levi's feelings were not hidden about the time they put in without very little coming from the meetings.

Hange was blathering on and on about her experiments and if Levi was being completely honest, he was listening to approximately nothing about her so-called breakthroughs. Every week it was the same things—Erwin asking how things were going; Hange incessantly taking up ninety-five percent of the meeting time with her chatter; and, of course, Levi trying desperately not to leave, slamming the door behind him.

Levi wanted to try to ask Erwin something, but he wanted to wait until the meeting was over and the office had emptied out. It wasn't a sensitive question. But he didn't want to have his question met with other questions, particularly from Hange. He was done for the day with her noise.

As soon as Erwin dismissed them, announcing that the meeting was over, the room emptied out almost immediately. Hange continued chatting for a quick second, but soon, she too was gone. Erwin turned to Levi, surely confused. Generally, Levi was the first out the door—too much to do and not enough time.

"Captain." Not a question. Erwin didn't tend to ask questions.

"The new old recruit," Levi started. Erwin took a second, before going around to his desk and sitting down at his chair. He pulled paperwork and started reading.

"Yes." Levi internally cursed the old blonde bastard for being so cryptic.

"Walsh." Levi supplemented. "I want to know more."

"Hopefully not in the usual way you usually want to know more." A raised eyebrow from Erwin, but without looking up from his clearly riveting paperwork.

"No. Not in that way." Levi found himself saying, but there was a small inkling of an idea inside Levi's gut that called him out on his potential lie. "She mentioned someone the other night."

This time, Erwin didn't even bother with a word. He made a noise of acknowledgement, allowing Levi to continue. "Alaric. No last name. Or maybe that is his last name."

Ordinarily, judging from the tone of Erwin's subsequent answer, or from the fact that he did not look up again would have made Levi think that this Alaric man was a nobody. But Levi was paying attention. He noticed how a small dimple appeared between Erwin's eyebrows and how the grip on his pen changed drastically—tension and tightness.

Did Erwin know the mysterious man that Levi only knew by first name? And if so, how? How did Erwin know the mystery man?

"Can't say—without any further details, I have no way of providing any information."

Levi nodded, but didn't wholly acknowledge. Something was off. Someone knew something. And Erwin wasn't being completely forthcoming. "You're dismissed, Captain." Erwin said, without even looking up. However, as Levi moved towards the door, Erwin said one more thing. "Tread carefully."

Caution. What was Erwin trying to say? Was it a threat? Or a warning? What would happen if Levi kept digging?

Unfortunately, Levi had none of those answers.

* * *

 _Present Day_

Despite the pseudo-warning, verging on a threat, that Levi had received, he had kept digging, but to no avail. Again, perhaps this Alaric was a complete nobody. But Levi couldn't shake the feeling of curiosity, even in light of—or perhaps in spite of—Erwin's words.

After having filed everything, Levi treaded back upstairs to grab another pile in order to go back down and file some more. Levi strode back and forth via the stairway another three times. However, on his third time back upstairs to his office, he looked outside at one of the windows.

He was surprised to see the current curiosity sitting on the angle of one of the thatched rooftops. Her legs were outstretched and from Levi's distance, it looked like she was half-dressed in her uniform. Levi couldn't help himself, so he hurriedly went upstairs and then up another set of stairs to see what the hell Adeline was doing. Last thing he needed was another suicidal maniac.

By the time Levi made it out there, the sunrise was dappling the sky with vivid purples, oranges, pinks and reds. If Levi were more of a romantic, he probably would have found the view stupendous. However, right now, his focus was on one thing: ensuring that Adeline wasn't going to do something stupid. She was still his soldier and he had to certify that she was okay.

Levi shimmied from the balcony onto the thatched roof and made his way towards her. Perhaps Adeline had chosen this place because it was a skill test – Levi had to be incredibly agile to make sure that he neither fell to his death but maintained his course to reach her. As Levi ambled his way, he couldn't help but watch as Adeline seemed to relax, letting the sun envelop her. The sun was beginning to shine upon her as she laid on the roof, letting the light settle upon her skin. It looked like her hair was on fire merely from the way the sunlight was hitting it.

It almost looked like Adeline was asleep. The last time he had seen someone looking this peaceful was in death. It worried some part of him and he kept wondering what Adeline's intentions were—why had she stowed herself away up here?

As soon as Levi's feet made landfall with the thatched roof that Adeline was relaxing upon, she sat up and crossed her outstretched legs that had been hanging off of the edge of the roof. She opened one eye—the green one that was shining bright like an emerald—and then closed it again.

"Captain." She acknowledged.

Levi didn't know what to say. He wasn't even sure anymore what had compelled him to maneuver his way to her little nook. Silence befell upon the scene, with the exception of the quietness of nature—birds lightly chirping and the sounds of the wilderness waking up.

Several minutes went by, and still, she said nothing. Clearly, she was trying to intimidate him or force his hand. Luckily, Levi was a patient man. And what better place to be patient than taking in the sunrise here?

More quietness. Finally, she opened both eyes and stared at him intently. If Levi didn't know any better, it almost seemed like she was trying to read his mind. "I heard that you've been digging."

Ordinarily, Levi would have tried to come up with an excuse. But instead, he acknowledged her pseudo-accusation. Her tone was too soft to be an accusation – but her use of the word "digging" was too inflammatory to be a mere coincidence.

She continued. "You've been asking about Alaric." At this moment, Levi realized how casually Adeline was dressed. She was barefoot, boots nowhere to be found. Her pants were rolled up at the bottom, showing off the creamy colored skin of her legs. And finally, her uniform shirt was half-buttoned—buttons on the top of her shirt and the bottom her only haphazardly buttoned, showing off more skin. If Levi was being completely honest with himself, this small show of intimacy unnerved him more than he would ever want to admit.

Levi could almost imagine a universe where Adeline always carried herself with this carefree attitude. He still said nothing, however, allowing Adeline the space to speak for herself. He didn't have a defense – he had been looking for information, after all. He wanted to know more in order to understand more. Perhaps to understand why she had kissed him with the fervor that she had.

Finally, Levi spoke. "You kissed me the other night." It came out gruffer than he intended. In fact, it sounded more like an accusation than the fact that he knew it was. "I wanted to know why."

Adeline's body language immediately changed. Her body tensed and her mouth tightened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Levi knew better than to continue the same tone he had used. Nevertheless, he did so. "You kissed me and said that name. I wanted to know why."

"Hmm." Adeline made a noise of acknowledgment, but it still sounded angry. "Like I said. I don't remember." Suddenly, Adeline moved quickly and from seemingly nowhere, had a folder in her hands. She placed it next to Levi's feet. He was surprised. Was this…?

"I came up here to destroy it." She said, very matter-of-factly.

Silence. Levi wasn't sure how much time passed. He didn't want to say anything—he knew that whatever he chose to say wouldn't be enough. He didn't even know who Alaric was, but if Adeline had said his name in their fervor and she had his file…clearly, whoever he was had been a significant figure in Adeline's life.

Adeline opened her mouth to speak again, but then closed it. Another moment passed and finally, she spoke. "I didn't destroy it because…" she paused. "If I got rid of his file…no one would know about him. The only memories of him rest with people who knew him. And there are only two people left who would have any vivid memories of him."

Levi needed to ask. He wanted to know about Erwin's involvement. "Is Erwin—"

"Yes. Erwin is one of the people. I'm the other person. That's it." She had cut him off sharply. Her eyes showed insurmountable amounts of emotion. Levi could see the sadness in her eyes—but there was something else. Anger, likely; disappointment, maybe; and finally, something that Levi couldn't quite pin.

Suddenly, Adeline stood, but didn't make any motions to pick up the folder from nearby Levi's feet. He hadn't realized how long he had been standing there with her—the sun was three-quarters risen in the sky and the vivid colors that had once smattered the sky were now blending into a bright blue.

She walked past Levi, clearly determined to leave. However, before she was completely out of Levi's earshot, he heard her say. "If you really want to know, you can read his file."

With that, Levi listened as Adeline left both him and the contents of the folder completely alone.

Now he had a decision to make: would he potentially follow Adeline's wishes and destroy the file without reading it? Had she left it for him so that he could file it away for people to access? Or was there an ulterior motive to leaving him this file? If Levi read it, even if he hadn't known Alaric, he would know information. Information that kept his memory alive in some ways.

Instead of making a decision, Levi grabbed the file and made his way back inside.

* * *

 **A/N: Annnnnd we're back! It's summertime! Which means far more free time! I'm traveling abroad this summer, so published times might be a little funky, but stuff is happening! Okay, that's enough gratuitous exclamation points...**

 **Anyways...favorite the story, follow the story, but most importantly don't forget to review! I've been mostly getting anonymous reviews, which is cool and all - I won't complain about reviews in whatever form they come, but I like talking, so much so that I will respond to reviews...so all the more reason to review! Thanks to everyone for waiting and I hope that chapters will start coming out on a semi-regular basis (no promises!) since I have a few weeks free now...but again, I'm a busy lady...nevertheless, writing truly is an escape from all the craziness that goes on. Look forward to the next chapter soon!  
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 **Thanks again! :)  
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